Real owners rate these about evenly: 77% of 13 Hario V60 Size 02 owners recommend it, vs 73% of 240 for the Kalita Wave 185.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
“So cool: without plastic elements in a coffee machine. Bad for cancer, good for you!”— @loverofthewordofgod4156 on YouTube
“Super simple, really nicely put together, very effective.”— @IncitingTheShrew on YouTube
“Worst part is probably the ceramic v60. Plastic has better heat retention, or so I’ve heard.”— solidbrain on Reddit
“The Kalita is so easy to use I’m loving it and glad to get the same brew every time,I highly recommend it.”— @russb3n on YouTube
“ain't nothing wrong with a good old Kalita Wave 185. It's quite forgiving as pourover drippers go.”— oneblackened on Reddit
“My stainless Kalita Wave 185 was clogging due to the filter collapsing onto the drainage holes. It seems to be a common problem in this model”— okfreedom on Reddit
Real owners rate these about evenly: 77% of 13 Hario V60 Size 02 owners recommend it, vs 73% of 240 for the Kalita Wave 185.
Owners point the Hario V60 Size 02 at home brewers making one to four cups at a time, and people who want control over their pour-over variables.
Owners point the Kalita Wave 185 at pour-over beginners wanting a forgiving brewer, and anyone brewing 2-3 cups at once.
The most-cited downside of the Hario V60 Size 02 is hard to brew small doses well. For the Kalita Wave 185, it's stalling, clogging and slow drawdown.